His favorite subject at school was history. While all my classmates were having nightmares about memorizing all the important dates, place names and timelines, I was fascinated by the characters.
From Julius Caesar to Winston Churchill, I marvel at the wisdom and leadership skills of the greatest statesmen and women of the last two millennia.
For me, the exact date is not important. What matters are his words and the fact that they have survived for so many centuries. Caesar is one of my favorites. He is a master of three word speech.
“Alea iacta est”, said the Roman leader before crossing the Rubicon. And, of course “veni, vidi, vici”, written in 47 BC, reporting back to Rome about the military campaign against Pharnaces II, prince of Pontus.
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Churchill gave many famous speeches during his tenure as the man who led the Brits through World War II and, fortunately, we can, thanks to technology, still listen to his recorded words.
While these speeches provide motivation for a nation in its darkest hour, they are also priceless. My favorite: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Whenever I find myself in a hole, Churchill’s words inspire me.
But it’s not just the great historical figures who produce these pearls of wisdom. My friend Ben once told a story about a billionaire who gave a keynote speech to a group of MBA graduates.
“If you’re all smart, why aren’t you rich?” asked the speaker, and one of the audience responded: “If you’re so rich, why aren’t you smart?” Touch it.
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On Saturday I was at a horse race meeting at Turffontein where trainer Joe Soma and jockey Piere Strydom were paired to win the Fillies Guineas with a horse called Lady Of Power. Like many bettors, I didn’t give the horse a snowball’s hope in hell to win, but he did, at odds of 25/1.
After the race, Soma said: “To all the youngsters out there, just remember one thing – education only teaches you how to spell experience.”
While the importance of education cannot be underestimated, we tend to overlook the value of experience. Thanks, Joe, for reminding us.
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